Periods of rain over next 72 hours

Finally rain falling in backyards of southeast Nebraska in what has been a dry September.  Prior to Wednesday, the Lincoln airport had only recorded 0.32″ of rain for the month.  For just Wednesday, the airport has measured 0.32″ through 7 p.m..

More rain is on the way.  A cold front is slowly moving east through Nebraska Wednesday night.  Showers and thunderstorms have developed in the western third of the state.  As the front moves east overnight, the rain will also move east.

Rain should arrive by 1 a.m. Thursday in Kearney, 2 a.m. in Grand Island and Hasting, and 5 a.m. in Lincoln and Beatrice.  The rain – with a few embedded thunderstorms – will fall through the morning and in to the mid-morning hours.  As we get to late morning, the rain should begin to taper off.

While there will be many dry hours for most Thursday afternoon, showers and thunderstorms will likely redevelop, especially along and east of a line from Wahoo – Lincoln – Beatrice, by late afternoon.  What does pop-up in the afternoon will move east to the Nebraska/Iowa state line by evening.

Scattered showers will remain in the forecast for both Friday and Saturday.  Saturday will likely see more dry hours in the morning before rain starts to fall by late afternoon and in to the early evening.

– Chief Meteorologist John Dissauer